Comparison

Premera vs smartbenefits

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Premera

Access your health plan details, view claims, and find in-network providers. Manage your digital ID card, track deductibles, and review prescription information. This app is designed for individuals with employer-sponsored health coverage in Alaska and Washington State.

Highlights
  • View claims and payment details
  • Access digital ID card
  • Locate in-network providers
  • Track deductible status
  • Manage prescription information
Features
Read full description

Keep your health plan info right in your pocket DIGITAL ID CARD 
Forgot your card? We’ve got you covered - right here on your phone. Show it, save it to your photo gallery, or send it to your doctor.   FIND CARE, IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL
Locate nearby in-network doctors, hospitals, urgent care, specialists, and more. Find personalized virtual or wellness care options included in your plan. Get quick access to primary care and other providers you visited recently.   VIEW YOUR CLAIMS
Access detailed claims and Explanation of Benefits information for you and your dependents. Know when Premera receives a claim, when we pay it, what the provider may bill you, and how your plan benefits cover care. DEDUCTIBLE AND OUT-OF-POCKET MAX TRACKED 
No guessing needed. Know how much you have left to pay before Premera starts paying for certain expenses and when your maximum is paid. View individual and family deductibles and maximums any time.   BENEFITS ALL IN ONE PLACE Get benefit details, booklets, pharmacy benefits, and more all in the app. Search your medical, dental, or vision benefits to understand your health plan coverage.   PHARMACY BENEFITS AND PRESCRIPTIONS AT A GLANCE 
Check all your drug coverage benefits, order refills, manage medication, and search drug pricing. Use the Medicine Cabinet to view your prescriptions, including dosage and pharmacy information. Note: For 2026 plans, the Premera app supports only those who get coverage through their employer. The Premera app doesn’t currently support information for our Medicare Supplement customers, or for those who bought an individual or family plan through Washington Healthplanfinder.org or HealthCare.gov.

About

smartbenefits

Manage all your employee healthcare benefits in one place. Track plans, file claims digitally, and get pre-approved for cashless surgeries. Access health, life, and OPD plans with ease.

Highlights
  • Access health, life, and OPD plans
  • Detailed coverage and limit view
  • Digital claim filing
  • Cashless surgery pre-approval
  • Locate panel hospitals
  • View covered daycare surgeries
Features
Read full description

Smartbenefits is the all-in-one platform for employee healthcare benefits that can help you stay on top of all your health and wellbeing needs. Track and understand all your benefits, limits and coverages and make the most of your services. Get a personalized view of all your healthcare plans, instantly file your claims and get reimbursed digitally. Avoid any last minute hassle by getting yourself pre approved for cashless surgeries via the app and make the process seamless. What you can do on our app: - Access your health, life, and OPD plans with a single click - Get a detailed view of your coverages and limits - File a reimbursement claim or get prior approval for a planned surgery - Locate the nearest panel hospital for cashless treatments - View daycare surgeries and special investigation tests covered under your plan

Screenshots

Premera4 screens
smartbenefits4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: smartbenefits at 4.9 against Premera's 1.9. Premera's advantage is ratings volume (406 vs 16). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

smartbenefits holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Premera has 406 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Premera ships an update every 2 weeks, smartbenefits every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Premera versus smartbenefits: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPremerasmartbenefits
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (406 ratings)4.9 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews8.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings406 — better16
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB67 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPremera Blue CrossSmartBenefits

Customer experience

Premera

All ratings406 ratings
Positive18.2%
Neutral5.7%
Negative76.1%
Written reviews163 reviews
Positive8.6%
Neutral6.1%
Negative85.3%

smartbenefits

All ratings16 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Premera

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Constant login failures and account access problems
  • Provider search feature not functioning properly
  • App crashes and freezes on various user actions

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add Apple Wallet support for insurance card
  • Improve provider search and directory accuracy
  • Expand coverage to include Medicare and individual plans

smartbenefits

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Premera

No in-app purchases

None

smartbenefits

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Premera free?
Premera is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is smartbenefits free?
smartbenefits is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Premera or smartbenefits?
smartbenefits is rated higher. Premera averages 1.9 out of 5 from 406 ratings, while smartbenefits averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.
Do Premera or smartbenefits have ads?
Neither Premera nor smartbenefits shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Premera or smartbenefits?
Premera ships an update every 2 weeks, and smartbenefits every 3 weeks. Most recently, Premera was updated on November 1, 2026 and smartbenefits on October 24, 2026.

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